The Chinese word **翻身** (fānshēn) is a compound verb formed by combining the character **翻** (fān), meaning "to turn over" or "to overturn," with **身** (shēn), meaning "body" or "oneself." Literally, it means "to turn one's body over," but its primary and powerful usage is figurative, signifying a complete transformation of one's situation—such as liberation from oppression, a dramatic improvement in social or economic status, or a fundamental change in fortune. This term gained profound cultural and political resonance in 20th-century China, often used to describe the emancipation of peasants and workers after the 1949 revolution, metaphorically portraying them as "turning over" from a state of subjugation to one of standing up with power and dignity.